


The Mach 5

by RukaIsAFan



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Anxiety, Fluff, Gift, Kissing, M/M, Old Anime References, Pining Hunk (Voltron), Post Season 2, Pre Season 3, VLD Rarepair Exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 07:34:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11458989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RukaIsAFan/pseuds/RukaIsAFan
Summary: With everything that hit them, Hunk knew that he needed to cheer up the most affected of the group. The one who found out: A) Part of an evil alien race but isn't evil B) His best friend disappeared and C) He is now leading their group. So he's building Keith a hoverbike because Keith deserves something nice. It didn't help that he really liked Keith. It didn't help that Keith reminded him of the heroes of old shows he watched as a kid.He just hoped Keith liked the Mach 5.





	The Mach 5

**Author's Note:**

  * For [crypticarus (padawin)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/padawin/gifts).



> For [Becoming_Icarus](http://becoming-icarus.tumblr.com/) on tumblr! Part of the [VLD Rarepair Exchange](https://twitter.com/vld_rarepairs)

It was called the Mach 5.

At least until Keith renamed it.

Hunk looked over the secret project of his, a hoverbike built for speed and control. Lightweight for acceleration, an engine that sounds clean but still has that kitten purr that shows off its power. It was going to be red and it's going to fly across any terrain, even on the water with enough velocity.

It’s going to be a gift for someone who desperately needed it. 

When Hunk was little, he loved waking up early on the weekends and watch the old animated shows. They formed the base of his humor, a bit crude but coming from a good place. Seeing the hero fight against evil every show and winning could be boring, but these shows had awesome moves, lasers beams, and even more awesome machines. He enjoyed running around yelling about how he's a science ninja when his cousins were over for food. The sweet and spicy smells wafting around as all of the cousins around his age played superheroes, sometimes including an aunt or uncle to play the bad guy who used a devilish voice to threaten the world if they don’t give up their powers.

There were fights of course. Who got to be the Red Guy or the Pink Girl was a hotly debated topic. Only the 'coolest' got to be the Red Guy, the leader. Hunk himself was often segued to being a different color, often yellow, with exception to his birthday. All the kids agreed that when a cousin celebrated on their birthday they get to be the Red Guy or the Pink Girl. It was fair and really a great way to celebrate that person.

Really when he thought about it, Hunk didn't mind being yellow and if little kid Hunk found out he would grow up to be an actual Yellow Guy, he would freak out. Especially since he knew an actual Red Guy.

He noticed one thing that all Red Guys or heroes in their own series have: mullets and a loner attitude that oozed with heroic fortitude. It could have been the period of the time, but seeing Keith at the Garrison made his mind explode in that finding out Santa Claus was really real all this time despite what your parents told you. Keith looked like he stepped out of a TV and he was half hoping that Keith raced a white car or had a robotic dog… or even a robot himself.

He was interested in Keith, but he knew it was a shallow interest. Keith is too cool and he knows there was more to Keith that looking like he was from some late 20th Century animation show that targeted children and sold toys. When the Garrison felt a bit like home after a while, he became best friends with two cadets: Lance and Pidge. They weren't the best team, but they were a team. Though he didn't like that Lance beats himself up over not being Keith (not everyone can be the Red Guy), it was nice to see that Keith intrigued others and not just him.

Keith was a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, wrapped in a mystery, like a turducken. He was unreadable and was skilled, really skilled. It added to the hype about him.

Hunk tested the Mach 5's power cells, looking over the laptop he borrowed from Pidge for promising to not touch her stuff for two days. Keith was much more than a hero. He was a real person, he had a temper and can be quite chilly. However, that doomed Hunk because Keith's flaws were what made Keith less fictional and more real. It was then he saw Keith less as the cool hero but a real person who had more feelings than drops of water in a single tear. In fact, Keith has _a lot_ of feelings.

When Keith and he went into the weblum, Hunk fell hard for him. The Red Paladin worked with his anxiety and worry -even made a joke of all things! Hunk got farted out and dodged, actually dodged, a large stream of laser puke. It was totally gross, but he did it. Sure, Keith's silent Galra buddy split, but somehow Keith's confidence in him pushed him to the challenge. He liked that feeling, someone relying on you and have confidence in your ability to do it.

And that's why he's making the Mach 5 and combing over every inch, centimeter, and minute detail of the machine.

Because despite his crush, Keith really deserves something since he's leader now. They lost Shiro and it hit Keith _hard_. Keith was to Shiro as Hunk was to Lance. Best buddies. The kind you wouldn't kick out of your bed in the morning if you both crash there from exhaustion or asking to check if there's an embarrassing rash on your butt.

Plus there's the whole Keith being a Galra.... Actually, he wondered how Keith took that. Keith was unreadable at times and with Shiro gone, everyone lost their human-Keith emotion dictionary. However, Hunk was starting to get good at that or maybe Keith was relaxing a bit. Keith was distressed when Allura dismissed his efforts because of the Galra thing. It was subtle, a downcast glance at the floor or even just staying silent.

It could be the whole Galra thing or… well, Keith mentioned wanting to find his family.

_Oh._

Hunk placed the wrench on the floor, he needed to tighten some of the bolts. However, a thought struck him. Keith never talked about his past. Shiro might have known, but Keith was very private so who knows how much Shiro knew. If Keith didn't have anyone growing up, it would explain a lot of his behavior. Here he was throwing excuses that Keith was Galra so emotions are different for him when really the simplest reason was the most logical and possibly correct one.

He picked up the wrench again with renewed motivation. It was time for Keith to have people there for him.

Each bolt will have the correct torque applied!

Each wire will be secured and efficient!

This baby was going to shine like the stars!

The hours passed by as Hunk continued work with heartfelt passion and kindness.

Stepping back from the nearly complete project, Hunk really hoped Keith liked the Mach 5, even as he starts to think about paint colors, visions of Keith piloting the little hoverbike across some alien world and pulling stunts off just like the time they saved Shiro. That was scary. Especially the cliff part, but Keith pulled it off.

Keith will make a good leader. Until they find Shiro, Keith could keep everyone together. He had faith in the Red Paladin’s abilities and he did showcase stepping up to lead them during that same time they rescued Shiro. As he selected a red that matched Keith’s leather jacket, he hoped he could become someone Keith could count on.

Because well, it wasn't likely that his infatuation with Keith was going to lead anywhere romantic. He accepted that long ago when he first saw Keith wearing red just like the TV shows.

He needs to get Pidge on this again to help him figure out if there’s some Altean form of a paint sprayer and paint mixer on the ship. Allura ended up being the one who helped them out with that and finding a place for Hunk to sequester the project in. But for now it’s dinner time with the way his stomach rumbled and he needs to make sure the meal was something more palatable than foamy space goo.

He walked out of the workshop, thinking of what to whip up for tonight as he headed towards the kitchen.

“Hunk?” The door slide open as Keith looked inside the workshop. He stopped and stared at machine and tools. The Red Paladin blinked a few times before seeing the color red, _his red_ , selected on a monitor.

Keith was stricken and left in a hurry.

 

* * *

 

Okay, the paint was almost dry and it took him awhile to find the best shade of red and he even pulled Lance to help with accent colors. Which was a little uncomfortable when Lance brought up that he should get one as well since he was Hunk’s best friend and he was wasting his talents on ‘the guy with a passé hairstyle and an attitude problem the size of Texas’.

He remembered the conversation well.

“Add some white and maybe some black there,” Lance marked the colors on a virtual model of the Mach 5 using a tablet, “Keith, huh. Well, he has to beg to earn my blessing.”

“WHAT!?” Hunk fumbled socket wrench in his hand and stared bug-eyed at Lance. Was it obvious? Oh, gee.

“Oh. I noticed. For the HMS Orange, that’s what I’m calling you guys cause yellow and red, to sail, his royal Keith-ness needs to show that he will need to prove that he’s good enough for you. Otherwise, I… and Pidge, will cut off Keith’s mullet and, like, tell the mice to hide his jacket or something.” Lance huffed as he tried to think up a punishment that won’t get him beaten up by Keith.

“That’s cold. Very cold.” He made a whistling noise over the threat.

“But at least it’ll give Keith a chance to expand his options in fixing his awful appearance.” Lance sat down next to the hoverbike, tinkering with the color details of the model.

“I like his appearance, it reminds me of those old animated shows we used to marathon at the Garrison at night.” Hunk grinned and turned back to triple check the fit of _everything_ on the Mach 5.

“Okay, fair point. He does look like he jumped out of a flying non-lion robot or a car, and he does wear red a lot, but he’s not the lea…. Keith’s the Red Guy.” Lance put the tablet down and slumped at epiphany.

“Keith’s the Red Guy,” Hunk nodded with confirmation.

“I’m the Blue Guy and you’re the Yellow Guy.” Lance pointed at himself then Hunk with his mouth hanging open for a second too long after finishing his sentence.

“I guess we are living the dream”, Hunk laughed that someone else noticed. Lance’s statements were of awareness of what they have become in a way.

Lance started to shriek, “Shiro comes back as like the Silver Guy. Cause you know, his last name means-“

“I’m betting on white.” Hunk interrupted with a wide smirk. Yeah, Shiro would appear in a crisis to save them. He was the type of guy you could picture doing that, even though he was more than a calm voice you rallied with in battle.

“Well I feel a bit more disturbed and comforted by this talk,” Lance sighed, picked up the tablet and turned to Hunk with voice calmer than before, “You know Keith isn’t like those guys in the shows.”

“I know.” Hunk’s smirk turned to a smile. He would like Keith even if he wasn't the Red Guy. The cool hero likeness of Keith may have brought Keith to Hunk’s interest, but it was interacting and working with Keith that made him like him.  

Hunk felt that smile as he remembered Lance helping paint the Mach 5. They went talked about their favorite shows and their Garrison marathons of old cartoons. They talked about the Blue Guys and the Yellows Guys in them, which one was their favorites. There was the one with a raptor and another with a tiger. The Yellow Lion even piped up with a snort in his head at the notion of there being a Yellow Guy who had a tiger and not a lion. Hunk had to assert that a lion is much cooler than a tiger, especially since his Lion had armor and super awesome claws.

They finished it with ease and he asked Lance to tell Keith to meet him down here. Even though it was done, he felt like everything had to be perfect. He even asked Coran for a bow and it took him forever to tie it how he wanted it on the Mach 5. It ran beautifully. It controlled like a dream when he tested it. But this was the final, final, _final_ inspection and it has to be impeccable. Just like in cooking, every element had to be in harmony to please.

Right now, Hunk just hopes that Keith likes it.

The door opened and Keith was there, wide-eyed as he looked at the red hoverbike.

“ ** _SURPRISE!_** ” Hunk spread his arms. “I thought since you were having a hard time and all that you need something nice. So I remembered your hoverbike, and how you flew across the desert ...and I thought you might have missed yours back on Earth. I got some parts, and Pidge and Lance helped, and I made you a hoverbike because you really need something to cheer you up more than food.” Hunk knew he was rambling but Keith was walking towards the gift with an expression he really wished Shiro was there to translate for him. It was like a mix of shock, sadness, and happiness with a hint of dull surprise and excitement. This meant Hunk had no idea what Keith was feeling.

Hunk fidgeted as the silence grew, at least Keith was showing interest in it. His mind turned to other things. Even if Keith liked the gift, it wouldn't mean anything. Which is okay because they have bigger things to worry about, but still it would be nice and-.

“I love it. Thank you.”

Hunk felt lips on his own.

His heart was going as fast as the Mach 5 because he knew that he crossed the finish line in first.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Comments, Kudos, Bookmarks, are always very much appreciated. 
> 
> My twitter is: [RukaIsAFan](http://www.twitter.com/RukaIsAFan). I'm mostly talkative there.  
> My tumblr is: [RukaIsAFan](http://RukaIsAFan.tumblr.com) too in case you want to talk to me over there.


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